OAKLAND -- After hitting the midway point of the regular season earlier this week, the A’s felt good about the spot they found themselves in. That position hasn’t changed, even after Thursday’s 8-3 loss to the Rangers at Oakland Coliseum, but it’s clear these A’s are battling through a tough stretch.
It wasn’t too long ago that the A’s were the hottest team in baseball as they kicked off June by going 13-2 through the first 15 games of the month. Since then, however, they’ve dropped eight of 12 games, with Thursday’s defeat capping Oakland’s second consecutive series loss.
First up on the A’s list of goals heading into this season was to defend their American League West crown as repeat champions. So far, these intradivision matchups have given them problems. As opposed to their 32-18 record against non-AL West opponents, Oakland is now below .500 in division play with a record of 16-17.
“We haven’t played great,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “We haven’t played our best here for 10 days or so. But give [Texas] credit. They’re swinging the bats well against us and doing enough on the pitching end as well.”
Sean Manaea, who has co-anchored a strong top of the A’s rotation alongside Chris Bassitt this season, hit a snag against the Rangers. Allowing more than two runs in a start for the first time since May 18, the left-hander gave up four runs in five innings, with most of the damage coming off the bat of slugger Joey Gallo, who picked up three RBIs over his first three at-bats.
The A’s weren’t going to stand much of a chance without Manaea at his best given the recent state of their offense. A’s hitters were held to three hits through the first seven innings before piecing together a late three-run rally in the eighth that was aided by an error by Texas reliever John King. By the end of the day, the A’s finished with just five hits and went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
“We’ve been up and down all year with hot and cold streaks,” A’s designated hitter Mitch Moreland said. “I think consistency could be a little bit better. But at the same time, this group has been really good all year. We could come out tomorrow and be right back on track. That’s just the way we play the game. I’m not worried at all.”
Here’s a closer look at what’s led to this recent skid for the A’s:
Canha’s absence
The A’s pride themselves on not having to rely on one single hitter in their lineup. But if there’s one hitter that serves as the glue that keeps everything together, it would be Mark Canha, who has been sidelined on the 10-day injured list since June 25 with a left hip strain.
At the time of Canha’s placement on the IL, the outfielder was putting up borderline All-Star numbers as the club’s everyday leadoff man, slashing .255/.375/.450 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs. Entering Thursday, his 55 runs scored also ranked tied for third-most among Major League hitters. In the last six games without Canha, Tony Kemp and Ramón Laureano have combined to produce a 1-for-20 batting line from the leadoff spot with just two runs scored.
“That’s tough,” Moreland said of playing without Canha. “He’s on base two, three, four times a game it seems like. He creates a little havoc for us on the bases and gives us more opportunities to score some runs. He just lengthens our lineup at the top. It’s definitely going to help to get him back.”
After receiving a PRP injection in both of his hips on Tuesday, Melvin said Canha has been making progress, though he does not expect him to return until after the All-Star break in late July.
Bullpen woes
Yusmeiro Petit and Lou Trivino have proven to be two of the more reliable relievers in the Majors with their consistent work in the back end of the A’s bullpen. But finding other late-inning options has been a difficult task for Melvin, with relievers being a main culprit in allowing games to slip away over the past two weeks.
Over the last 12 games, A’s relievers have posted a 6.61 ERA (23 earned runs in 31 1/3 innings pitched) with four blown saves. On Thursday, Domingo Acevedo, Deolis Guerra and Burch Smith combined to allow four runs over four four innings, allowing what was a somewhat manageable four-run deficit once Manaea departed after the fifth to double.